Process and device for producing the rupture or the distortion of alpha liquid stream and application of the same



Feb. 2, 1932. H P PILON 1,843,495

PROCESS ANDDEVICF FOR PRODUdIN THE RUPTURE OR THE DISTORTION OF A LIQUID STREAM AND APPLICATION OF THE SAME Filed 061?. l, 1928 Fig.1.

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rangements of this conductor and of Patented Feb. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HECTOR PAUL PILON, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNQR TO SOCIETE ANONY'ME ETABLISSE- MENTS GAIFFE-GALLOT & PILON, 0F PARIS, FRANCE PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR PBDDUCING THE BUPTURE 0R THE DISTORTIQN 01! A LIQUID STREAM AND APILICATION OF THE SAME Application filed October 1, 1928, Serial No.

The present invention has for object a process allowing to produce, without any the rupture or distortion of a liquid conductor through which passes a current, this action being capable of being used either for producing the starting of certain phenomena, or for opening a'circuit, 'or even ton imparting certain movements to the liquid conductor, orto other bodies in contact with it.

This process substantially consists in causing a magnetic field to act on the li uid conductor itself, or on a portion thereo according toits nature and the arrangement of the vessel containing it. lit is known that, when a conductor, through which passes a current, is subjected to the action of a magnetic field perpendicular to its axis, it undergoes a re action which tends to displace it laterally, in a direction at right angles to the lines of force of the field and to the direction of the current. This has for result that, under the action of the field, the liquid conductor is cut, thinned, or displaced, and this distortion of the conductor is utilized for obtaining the result sought for.

For carrying out the invention, a magnetic field is caused to act on a liquid conductor, through which passes a continuous or alternating current or a current of any form whatever, this conductor being contained in a vessel which gives it a suitable shape. This vessel can have, at the point where the field is caused to act, a smaller cross section; or the liquid can be placed in a channel, or can incompletely fill a tube or other channel. In these conditions, under the action ofthe field, the liquid conductor, constituted as just indicated, is raised, flattened, displaced, agitated or broken according to the relative arthe field, as well as according to the nature of the field and the form of the current.

The field adapted to act on the liquid conductor, according to the principle which has just been set forth, can be obtained by any suitable means, solenoids, electromagnets, magnets, etc. The field can be constant or variable and result from the combination of several fields also constant or variable at 309,673, and in France November 21, 1927.

periods which may be difierent. Moreover it can be symmetrical or unsymmetrical relatively to the conductor, according-to the various applications and results sought for.

A particularly interesting form of construction of the invention in case alternating current is used, consists in producing the field by the same alternating current which passes through the liquid conductor, as in this case, the force acting on the latter is always of the same direction notwithstanding the changes of direction of the current.

When, as'just described, the rupture or distortion of a liquid conductor through which passes a current, is-produced by means of a magnetic field, a small arc is thus formed between the two ends of the conductor thus separated, and the ionization of the surrounding atmosphere can be sufficient for one or more permanent arcs to be established between one of the parts of the liquid stream and one or more electrodes placed in the main bulb and brought to suitable potentials. It may be interesting to choose on which one of the two ends of the broken conductor the permanent are or arcs Wlll spring and it may be interesting also to direct these arcs 1n a predetermined direction, then to maintain them in a certain place.

Now, it is lmown, that when a magnetic field is caused to act on a conductor through which passes a current, a force appears the effect of which is to displace the conductor perpendicularly to the field and to the corn ductor. This action is general and is produced both when the conductor is metalhc and when it is formed by a bundle of ions or electrons.

When the arc takes place in mercury vapour, the current is formed by a bundle of ions which lead to the cathodic spot, and, by applying on its path a magnetic field of suitable nature, intensity and direction, certain edectsxcan be obtained an example of which will better point out the utility.

In case the invention is applied to the producing of the starting of a mercury vapour rectifier, it is necessary to drive the cathod c spot from the starting member which 15 necessarily small and which might break,

' through the considerable local heating if the cathodic spot dwelt there for a long time.

' the electromagnet the field This inconvenience can be remedied by applying a magnetic field of constant and chosen direction and of suitable intensity which, acting on the current of ions, also acts on the position of the cathodic spot and pushes it towards the main mercury bath. This magnetic field has two eifects:

1. It drives the cathodic spot from the starting member at the beginning of its formation, which has for effect to avoid the rupture of this member.

2. Once the rectifier is in operation, it revents the cathodic spot from coming back into the starting member inwhich case it would remain in the latter, and b means of the local heating, would cause the rupture of this member.

The magnetic field under consideration can be produced for instance by a permanent magnet or by an auxiliary winding placed on of which produces the rupture of the conductor and branched in series or in shunt on the circuit of the rectified current. The accompanying drawings illustrate a mercury vapour rectifier provided with such a device.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagram of the whole structure.

Fig. 2 is a section made on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side View corresponding to Fig.

s seen in the drawings, the mercury vapour apparatus consists in a bulb a containing, in its lower art, a mass of mercury C w ich forms a cat ode, and anodes A.

In such an apparatus for producing the starting of the arc, it has been necessary, up to now, to incline the bulb a for bringing an auxiliary electrode (not shown), or another small mass of mercury 6 contained in a member 03 of the cathode, in contact with the mercury. The rupture s ark which is produced when setting the bulb right ensures the starting of the are.

In order to thus incline the apparatus, its support must be arranged for that purpose,

this involves complications in the construc-' tion of the mechanical parts and in the connections. The necessarily supple connections are, moreover, difiicult to obtain with high intensities of current in these oscillatmg apparatus.

According to the invention, net m is so arranged that its opposite the liquid conductor, clearly seen in Fig. 3. This carries two windings s and The winding 8 an electrom agpolar faces are as will be more electromagnet s is adapted to produce the starting. In the example shown in the drawings. it is fed by a starting transformer T.

At the moment the current is shut on the terminals under the fields produ'cedby this the distortion of a reeaaee The windings gives a field or constantdirection F Fig. 2, and pushes back. the cathodic spot of the starting member 12 in the direction D, Fig. 2. This winding 8 is, in the example shown, placed in series in the circuit U of the rectified current (utilization circuit). The cathodic spot is therefore pushed back as soon as the rectifier is started.

Claims v1. An apparatus for producing rupture in a conductor comprising a casing, a liquid conductor therein adapted to form a cathode spot,- means for producing a magnetic field capable of breaking this li uid conductor, means for expelling the cat ode spot and preventing the return thereof during the entire time of operation of the apparatus.

2. An apparatus forming a mercury vaporarc rectifier comprising a bulb with appendage, a mercury mass with a narrowed part in the said appendage, an electroma et in the form of a ring the polar faces oi which are opposite the said narrowed part, a winding on the said ring for producing a magnetic field capable of acting on the mercury mass and separating the mercury mass into two masses, another winding adapted to drive the cathodic spot from the appendage.

3. An apparatus formingamercury vaporarc rectifier comprising a bulb with appendage, a mercury mass with a narrowed part in the said appendage adapted to form a cathode spot, an electromagnet the polar faces of which are opposite the said narrowed part, a winding on the said electromagnet for producing a magnetic field capable of acting on the mercury mass and dividing the mercury mass into two masses, another wind-- ing being provided for driving the cathode spot from the appenda e.

The foregoing speci cation of my Proc ess and device for producing the rupture or liquid stream, and applications of the same signed by me this 17th day of September, 1928.

HECTOR PAUL PTLON. 

